The Portrait Challenge

The challenge: create two 10 x 10 cm etchings, one a self portrait and the other a portrait of someone else in the group?

First response: I don't do people. 

Second response: I can't remember the basics I learnt of etching 18 months ago. 

Third response: I'll do it!

Five of us took up the challenge and this week we printed our rogues gallery. Following great debate about the various layout options, we decided upon a row of the five portraits of each other and similarly the five self-portraits. 

 Here's our template marking the location for each etching plate and for the dampened paper.

One of the prints involved three plates so initially we printed the first one on its own, keeping the end of the template and paper trapped in place under the roller so we could replace it with the second plate in order to print again in the same position. 

Still keeping the paper trapped we positioned the plates for all five portraits for the third time through the press and... 

Hey presto! Our group portrait!